Topic 2.1 – Individuals, Populations, Communities and Ecosystems, sets a foundation for the ecological principles studied throughout the rest of topic 2. It covers key terminology, the niche principle and sampling strategies for both biotic and abiotic factors that can influence populations.
Lessons
Lesson 1: Species, keys and classification
Lesson 2: Abiotic sampling
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Lesson 3: Niche and biotic factors
Presentation (Population inderactions)
Presentation (Ecological niche)
Reading: The niche of the water monitor lizard
Lesson 4: Populations and carrying capacity
Lesson 5: Sampling strategies – Using a quadrat
Lesson 6: The Lincoln index
Lesson 7: Sustainability and tipping points
Lesson 8 (HL): Niche, r and K, Clades
Fundamental and realised niche research task
Theory of Knowledge
- In studying ecosystems, how reliable is the knowledge gained from controlled experiments compared to field observations in natural environments?
- How does the language used to describe interactions between species (e.g., “competition,” “predation”) influence our perception of these relationships?